Nosey Nancies and Avoiding the Gym

Counting 1,2,3....7,8,9....and now 13,14,15 days since I've been to the gym or ran a good run!

Over the weekend while out shopping (nothing fancy, just groceries) I hear my name being called from the cheese section of the isle. I was at the far end of that isle grabbing milk. Before I could turn around to see who in the Wally World was calling my name, she was at my side with all sorts of questions about where I've been.

She is one of my gym girls. Not the one who plateaued and couldn't loose weight but the most outgoing, goofy one in my gym classes. She is outspoken to say the least and clearly should be an instructor as she always breaks out into her own dance moves during class.

We carried on talking, one of her kids almost fell out of the cart while the other got trapped climbing underneath, all the while shoppers passing by watching me, in my awkwardness, explain why I hadn't been to the gym.

I could of told her the truth. She may have noticed the truth. Probably not, between the cheese and her kids she was awfully distracted. But she got me thinking about the foreigness of having these extra hours at home with my hubby and kids and the nagging need to get back into the gym.

Since I have another 2-4 weeks before the doc's give me the say-so on returning to the gym, I figure I'll plague you with my list of pro's and con's for 'dedicating time to working out'.


Pros:
More time with family
More time for laundry, cleaning, sprucing
More time for homework review (Lance really loves this part)
Less stinky sweaty clothes to launder
Less urge to go shopping for the latest, greatest in sports wear (isn't it so addicting?!)
No rushing between work, home, and daycare to get to gym for 5:30 class

Cons:
Achy, crampy muscles
Loss of strength and endurance
Less calories burnt at resting state
Less calories burnt. Period.
Loss of flexibility
Less connection with gym buddies
Paying membership fee without using it
Upcoming Nosey Nancies asking 'where you been and why'
Separation anxiety may set in for my youngest who attends daycare at gym
Decrease in motivation to go! (yes, a part of me feels that. the easier route to say no is as it suggest, easier.)
The option to drink is water becoming less and less entertained
Less time at the gym also means more time to crave fast food or other junk

I've counted once already in this post so I won't get all 'elementary' again but isn't it obvious that my con's list is longer?! I'm sure if I allowed myself more time for this post I could add at least another 10.

Time dedicated to working out is very important to me.
The rewards of a good workout are endless.

When you dedicate time to working out the body uses its stored energy and consequently begins asking for water, fruits, protein, etc. All healthy lifestyle choices. We all know fast food is crap and then add burning less calories....that's a bad combo (no pun intended). It's worse than saying "yes" to the "Can I supersize your combo" question.
I've been guilty of this over the last week or so. Not the supersize option, that's just gross but the fast food option in general. When I workout during the week I seriously don't crave greasy foods but you let me lay around on the couch for a few days...and yep, it's as if I have a severe hangover and can only function again if I get some Advil and greasy fast food. ewwwww. No matter how good a Chick-Fil-A combo is or how healthy Arby's claims to be...those fries and that soda will get you!

Back to the rewards.
Working out also requires a bit of stretching.
Stretching...I could really go on about how good this feels but since my fitness posts tend to be longest I'm gonna force myself to keep it short. Many people rave the "Feel the Burn" applying it to the burn you feel at the final moments of a work out....I like to also apply it to the final stretch of a stretch. Does that make sense? When you hold a stretch and after a brief time your body allows you to push more into that stretch. That's what I mean. Stretching is a powerful aid to your body healing and growing. I think it was Dr. Oz (really, a Dr. Oz bomb in my post?!) who said to watch a cat when it first wakes up...a cat will take the time to stretch before it goes about its day....he tells us that we should each adopt that as part of our morning routine. Whether you're a cat person or not or a Dr. Oz or Oprah person, he is right. It does the body good. And this I can still do with no increase in heart rate.

Yes, it's sad to take time away from my family & home
but really my family's routine has always included gym time.
My kids are used to the gym. They know to expect it.
When my oldest gets home from school it's one of the first things we talk about.
He loves the rock wall and has a mean free throw on the bball court.
My youngest has been in the daycare since he was 3 months old. He absolutely loves Ms. Looooda.
And his interaction with other children and new toys is good both socially and developmentally.
My husband attends a different gym in the mornings before work when he's not mandated to station PT but on the evenings me and the kids go to the gym he goes to the gym twice,  meeting me for my 2nd class and helping me get the kids back home.

So to the Nosey Nancy that I really do love seeing at the gym....I'll be back. I won't come back better than ever, that's just not practical but I'll be back. I didn't quit or give up. I didn't stop loving myself or my body.
In fact, I'm taking good care of it. I'm following Doctor orders, allowing my body time to do what it needs. I'm tending to my house, spending more time with my boys & my husband, making delish dinners and doing best to not burn the pumpkin muffins. I'm not rushing between places to grab kids, change clothes and be at my step by a certain time, and I'm certainly saying no (from here on) to the temptation of fast food.